First Broadcast - Aglio e Olio

The weekend had arrived. Normally I would have stayed up all night gaming, crawled out of bed around noon, and thrown together a cup of instant noodles. Today was different. I had woken up early and was already sitting at my desk.

"...."

The webcam. I had bought it back when I thought I might try game streaming. But after three broadcasts with zero viewers staring back at me from a blank screen, I had given up. It had ended up as a glorified paperweight I only used for online lectures. Now I was about to put it to use again.

"...I guess I have to do this, huh?"

I muttered to myself. I had already bought the ingredients that morning. Today's dish was Aglio e Olio. A simple pasta that only needed garlic, olive oil, and noodles. It was something I made often—one of the essential meals for anyone living alone.

I had considered doing the convenience store honey combination that Minji had requested, but it felt a little off for a first broadcast. Maybe later. At the same time, doing something too ordinary felt boring. So I settled on a pasta that looked impressive but was still easy and cheap to make.

The real problem was the actual streaming part. I stared at my laptop screen. The broadcasting software was already installed. I had thrown together a rough setup last night after my part-time shift before going to bed, but I double-checked everything. I adjusted the camera again to make sure only the kitchen counter and my hands would be visible.

Now I needed a streaming username. Using my old gaming account felt too weird, so I made a new one. Coming up with a name is always the hardest part... Using my old nickname wouldn't fit a cooking stream at all...

"Hayan..."

My current name. I had grown used to it, but saying it out loud still felt strange. After thinking for a moment, I typed it in.

"...Does that sound too much like a restaurant name?"

I deleted the last character. HayanBab. Oh? That actually sounded pretty good. I clicked save. If I kept overthinking it, I would never actually start the stream.

The channel has been created.

Seeing those words made my heart pound strangely. Now that I was actually about to do it, I felt nervous.

"Huu... Let's get the ingredients ready first."

I took the ingredients I had stored in the fridge in their bags. Spaghetti noodles, garlic, peperoncino, olive oil, salt. That was it. As soon as I pulled them out, information windows popped up one by one in front of my eyes.

"Nice."

This ability was incredibly convenient for cooking. The olive oil wasn't the best quality, but it was expensive to buy the good stuff, so I had to compromise. My ability would cover for it.

I took out the apron I had bought along with the ingredients and put it on. Since this was a broadcast, I figured I should look somewhat presentable. As I tied the apron strings, I paused. I caught my reflection in the mirror.

A black long-sleeved t-shirt. Long white hair tied back so it wouldn't get in the way. And a white apron on top.

"What the... I actually look like someone who does cooking broadcasts."

The words slipped out before I could stop them. It suited me way too well.

"...I should make some stir-fried pork belly later."

I checked the camera angle one more time and turned on the microphone.

"Ah, ah. Mic test. Can you hear me?"

When I tested the sound, my clear, gentle voice flowed from the speakers.

For the stream title, I went with something simple.

That should be fine. I hovered my mouse over the start broadcast button. My heart was pounding. My hands were shaking. I took a deep breath.

"Here goes nothing!"

It had begun. Zero viewers. No one was watching.

"Haa..."

Strangely, that made me feel relieved. Should I just start cooking right away? But if I did that now, it would be no different from cooking alone. Streaming was supposed to involve interacting with people. Doing it solo felt...

"I'll start once one person shows up."

I muttered to myself and sat down in my chair. One minute. Two minutes. Five minutes. The viewer count stayed at zero. I let out a small laugh.

"Haha... Of course. Who would come to a brand-new channel with nothing on it?"

Just sitting there with the stream on and waiting felt more embarrassing than I expected. I found myself tapping the edge of the desk with my fingers.

"Maybe I should tell Minji I'm streaming..."

No. She would definitely tease me mercilessly. Plus it felt a bit like cheating.

"I should just start."

My hand moved toward the noodles, but then stopped again.

"Just one person. I'll start as soon as one person joins."

Once I made up my mind, a strange stubbornness took over. I didn't want to waste the time I had already waited. About five more minutes passed like that.

Then the number in the top right of the screen changed. From 0 to 1.

"Oh."

The sound slipped out before I could stop it. Someone had actually joined. My heart suddenly started racing like crazy again. Now that someone was actually here, I kind of wanted to run away. At that moment, a message appeared in the chat.

"...."

My mind went blank for a second before I finally managed to speak.

"Um... Hello."

"Ah, yes. It's my first broadcast. Please take care of me."

I felt my ears growing hot. I tried to act natural as I moved in front of the counter.

"Today... I'm going to make Aglio e Olio. The ingredients are pretty simple. You just need spaghetti noodles, garlic, olive oil, and some peperoncino."

I filled a pot with water first and added salt. The moment I picked up the salt, I instinctively knew exactly how much to use.

"This much should be good."

The salt scattered into the water with a soft sound. I placed the pot on the stove and began prepping the ingredients while waiting for the water to boil. For some reason, I felt like turning on my Sensory Correction.

"Sensory Correction ON."

As soon as I muttered it quietly, the world became sharper. The air in the kitchen, the pungent scent of garlic, the smell of olive oil, even the warmth rising from the water in the pot—I could feel it all. Unlike the overwhelming sensations I felt in daily life, the sensory input while cooking wasn't unpleasant. It actually felt comfortable.

I picked up the garlic and brought the knife down.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

Thinly sliced garlic arranged neatly on the cutting board.

Second compliment already.

"I'll slice the garlic thinly. If it's too thin it burns easily, so I'll keep it at a good thickness..."

I tried to ignore the comments and kept slicing the garlic. The water in the pot began to bubble.

"I'll only make one serving."

I added what I judged to be the right amount for one person. I used a spatula to gently push down the noodles that were sticking out of the pot. I set a timer on my phone.

"Since Aglio e Olio gets finished in the pan with some pasta water later, I'll cook it a little less than the time on the package."

Whoa, why am I speaking so naturally? I placed a pan on the stove and turned on the heat. I poured in a generous amount of olive oil and waited for it to heat up.

Now.

I added the thinly sliced garlic. It began to slowly release bubbles in the oil.

"It's best to draw out the garlic's aroma on low heat. If you use high heat it burns quickly and gets bitter."

The viewer count went up to two. Then three.

"Huh...?"

While I was surprised, another chat message popped up.

"Ah. Yes. I'm making Aglio e Olio right now."

As more people joined, it started feeling more nerve-wracking. I crushed the peperoncino with my hands and added it to the pan. The chili pieces floated on the oil, spreading a spicy aroma. When the garlic turned a light golden color, the timer went off.

The noodles were still slightly firm in the center. Perfect for finishing in the pan. I used tongs to lift the noodles and transfer them to the pan.

Sssss—

The pleasant sound of the water on the noodles meeting the oil filled the air.

I couldn't answer. Something felt strange right now. My hands moved more smoothly than when I had made kimchi fried rice. The way I shook the pan and mixed the noodles felt different.

Then a notification appeared before my eyes.

"Huh?"

"Ah, no... I just got a little oil splash."

So that's why it felt different. I focused on the pan again. Half a ladle of pasta water. Too much and it would get watery. The splashing liquid gradually thickened and clung to the noodles.

"Since Aglio e Olio has simple ingredients, it's important to coat the noodles well with the aroma. If you shake the pan like this..."

I gave the pan another shake.

"The water will absorb nicely into the noodles."

Noona? Was that directed at me? My name Hayan already felt awkward, but hearing "noona" felt even weirder.

"...It's because I make it often."

It was embarrassing, but I somehow managed to answer. The viewer count had somehow reached seven. When did it grow so much?

I plated the pasta. Normally I would have just dumped it in a bowl, but since people were watching, I used tongs and a ladle to neatly twirl the noodles and place them on the plate. I arranged the garlic slices nicely on top and drizzled a bit of the remaining oil from the pan.

"Done."

The plate on the camera screen looked pretty decent.

"Delivery isn't available," I said with a laugh I couldn't hold back. "Because I'm eating it myself."

"Now that it's done, I'll try it."

I had been looking forward to it while cooking. How good would it taste? I twirled some noodles around my fork and added a slice of garlic.

One bite.

"...."

It was delicious. No, it went way ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠beyond simply delicious. It was the best Aglio e Olio I had ever made. The garlic was fragrant without being burnt, and the oil infused with garlic and chili gave off a wonderful aroma without being greasy. The slight heat from the peperoncino rose gently, and the noodles still had a pleasant chew. As for the seasoning... what could I even say?

"Wow..."

The exclamation slipped out involuntarily.

"I haven't decided on a schedule yet, so I'm not sure. Doing it every day would be hard, but maybe I'll stream occasionally."

At that moment, another notification window appeared before my eyes.

It was the usual notification. Then another one appeared.

"...?"

I froze with the fork still in my hand.

I didn't have time to answer. New notifications kept appearing.

"...Holy crap."

I muttered quietly. Oh right, I'm still ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠streaming. The chat immediately reacted.

"Ah, sorry. It was just so delicious."

It wasn't a lie, so I used it as an excuse.

"I'll go get some water. Just a moment."

I left my seat for a bit and looked at the details of the new ability.

"...Guests."

It fits the unique trait perfectly. But the ability works even through a stream? And it's a growth type too. I got so lost in thought about the ability that I almost forgot I was still broadcasting. I poured water into a cup, returned to my seat, and apologized.

"Ahaha... Sorry. Did I take too long?"

Relaxing, huh... It must be the effect of the new ability. I continued eating the pasta while chatting with the viewers. Eventually I took the very last bite.

"Thank you for the meal."

"Pfft..."

A natural laugh escaped me. You guys didn't even eat anything. But for some reason, those words made me feel good. It felt like I had satisfied the viewers even though they hadn't actually eaten. Like they had truly enjoyed my feast.

It was just one bowl of pasta, but it had been a pretty successful first broadcast.